Hostage
by Raven Morning
Summary: Sequel to Getting Home. When Shane accepted the Titan's offer to join the team, Slade decided to kidnap and hold her little sister hostage. Now Shane has to find her and save her, while diving right back into a life she thought she had left behind.
1. Chapter 1

** Hey everyone, thanks for taking a look at this! This fic is a sequel to a previous fic I wrote, called Getting Home. If you want to read this, I strongly suggest taking a look at the latter, or alot of this won't make sense.**

**I sort of left you all hanging after Getting Home, so I attempted to make a sequel to finish things off. **

**This starts about a week or so after we left off. This is just an intro chapter of sorts. The next one will have alot more plot development and action. So, bear with me! Read and review please! **

* * *

**Do you want to find her?**

"Yes. Yes, I do." A trembling voice replied, barely audible over shaking breath.

**Do you care about her?**

Sobbing, she nodded. Tears ran down her red face as she hugged herself and rocked back and forth.

**She's depending on you. And you're letting her down.**

"Stop this...please stop..." she muttered.

**But you're not there to help her, are you? Do I have to remind you that the time she has left to live is ticking by while you do nothing?**

"_Shut up_!" she screamed suddenly, grabbing her head between her hands.

**Her life is in your hands.**

"Tell me where she is! _Now_!"

**Too late.**

"No, no it's not!"

**Wake up Shane. It's a brand new day.**

"_No!_"

* * *

Shane bolted upright, clutching her heaving chest and resisting the urge to scream. A feeling of claustrophobia choked her. She gathered what lucidity she had and tried to calm herself. _It was only a dream. It was only a dream..._

Even so, she could still hear the cruel laugh of the voice echoing inside her head. She shivered. _It's only a dream... a nightmare..._Shane threw back the covers and laid in her bed, staring at the shimmering patterns of orange light the barely risen sun made on her ceiling as it shone through her blinds.

This had to stop. It was the seventh night in a row that she had been plagued with these nightmares. She was close to the edge. She barely got enough sleep as it was, but with the dreams on top of it- her performance on the team was beginning to fail. Noticeably. She feared that by the time came that they found her sister, she would be too weak to get her back. Her hands balled up into tight fists. **_No._** She could not let that happen. She would not let that happen. Slade would _not_ win.

* * *

With another furious yell, she slashed her blade to the right and down, tearing a zigzag into another hapless holographic thug. Blood burst forth from his chest and mouth as he stood rigidly, wide eyes staring at her. Se drew her leg back and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him toppling to the ground, where he fizzled out into static. Panting, she called, 

"More!" Another criminal materialized before her. She promptly began her attack, not giving the AI a chance to fight back. Artificial blood coated the ground, contrasting greatly with the black of the holographic street that served as her battlefield. Mock buildings from the inner city of Jump towered around them. There were no people onlooking through the windows or from street corners- simply Shane and the victims of her determined rage.

With one last swipe, her opponent fell.

"Tally of defeated opponents." Shane demanded.

"**Fifteen.**" a computerized voice responded.

"New opponent."

"**Name and classification?**" She swallowed.

"S-Slade. Class A."

At her word, a replica of the psychotic man began to appear. At first it was a mere shadow of a man, walking across the road towards her at a leisurely pace. Casual, almost. So sure of victory. Then, the image filled out and became solid, taking on a shape and a form Muscles filled out underneath the black Kevlar bodysuit. Metal pads squared off his shoulders and protected his knees. A belt strapped around his waist, holding every weapon he might need. A black and orange mask with one slit for an eye and a grate for his mouth covered his entire head.

It was Slade.

She watched as he came to a halt in front of her, her hands trembling as she drew a second blade. He towered over her, his presence emanating cold, calculated surety. With a deep, shaky breath, she dropped back into a defensive stance, her eyes ever leaving the nightmare of a man. A single breathy word slipped past her lips.

"Begin."

At once, Slade sprang to life, swinging the first punch at her ribs. She spun the opposite way, avoiding the blow, and struck out with her own punch. He caught her fist and twisted it painfully, forcing her knees to buckle out from underneath her. From there, he kneed her in the side and threw her down. She fell, stars exploding in her vision. In between shallow, painful breaths, she managed to dissipate and reappear above Slade, just close enough to land a kick on the back of his skull.

A crack ran down the face of his mask, exposing a small sliver of flesh. His one visible eye narrowed, becoming soulless and menacing. He spun around and grabbed her leg in mid air, then swung her to the side harshly. She collided with a telephone pole and hit the ground, letting out a cry of pain that echoed throughout the city. He stalked towards her, hands clenched. Everything in her resisted, screaming _'Don't move! Don't get up!_', but Shane pushed herself into a crouching position anyway. Her old wound twinged, and several ribs already felt bettered and bruised.

"Fighting back, are we?" Slade asked, a condescending edge to his voice. A chill ran up Shane's spine. He sounded just as cruel now as he did all those days before. "_Impress me_." With a shout, she leapt forward and lashed out with both blades. He blocked them with metal arms guards and countered with a kick aimed at her jaw. She flipped backward, disappearing mid-arc.

Breathless, she manifested on top of one of the many surrounding buildings. She crawled across the gravel surface and looked over the edge, careful not to expose herself. Slade was down on the street below, searching wildly for her. He didn't seem to have a clue where she was. _Thank god._ Shane sighed inaudibly, backpedaling away from the roofs edge and laying flat. Her heart pounded and her entire torso ached. The few minutes she had spent fighting Slade had certainly taken their toll. Staring up at the manufactured sky, she allowed her body to rest while her mind racked itself for strategies. _How am I going to get out of this...?_

"You can't." Shane gasped, eyes shooting open. Who...? The silhouette of Slade was perched on a metal vent above her, his head tilted to the side as he observed her. She sat up, jaw clenching.

"Who the hell says?"

"You do." Slade jumped down from the vent, not making a single sound as he landed. "Inside, you're terrified." Her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Shut up!" A blade sliced through the air, set on plunging deep into Slade's stomach. But in the last possible moment, he disappeared. The blade pierced the metal side of the vent, just behind where he had been standing. Her eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

"**Workout complete.**" the computer said.** "Time elapsed: one hour.**" Slowly, the street below faded out. Like poison, it spread, taking all the buildings and roads and alleys until she was left sitting in the middle of a large, white room. Her blade clattered to the floor beside her. Cursing, she punched the floor.

* * *

"Glorious greetings to the world! A new day has arrived!" Starfire cried, throwing her arms in jubilation above her head as she entered the main room. Her celebration, however, was put on hold as she noticed another member of the team hunched over a collection of files spread across the table. 

Now, in normal circumstances, Starfire would assume that person was Robin obsessing over his newest lead, but the recent disaster lead her to think otherwise. She floated cautiously closer, peering at them. It was Shane. She had her head resting in one hand, and was munching on a bagel held in the other. Her face was somber and darkly contemplative as she combed over a document she had pulled out from a file labeled 'Class A Fugitives'.

"Pleasant greetings to you Shane." Starfire said, putting on a bright smile. Shane started and looked over.

"Oh, morning Star." Shane said, her mood changing suddenly from somber to happy at the sight of her fellow teammate.

"You are up early, despite your usual sleeping habits, are you not?" Shane blinked, then replied,

"Just a bad dream is all Star." She looked back down at her document.

"Oh... I am sorry to hear it."

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Shane offered her a reassuring smile before shutting the files and gathering them together in a neat stack at the end of the table. Just then, the others came in, all in various stages of consciousness.

Beastboy barely made it to the sofa before collapsing. His greeting was something halfway between a grunt and a snore. Robin went straight for the coffee pot and newspaper, offering a short, "Good morning." Raven simply remained quiet as she poured herself some tea and moved to the window to observe the city and its bay.

Cyborg, possibly the most cheerful person in the morning next to Starfire, wrapped his arms around Shane from behind and said,

"Morning!" Shane automatically melted in his arms and smiled serenely.

"Morning Cy." she replied. Beastboy was conveniently awake enough to make retching sounds from the sofa. Fortunately for them, Raven was also awake enough to levitate one of her books over and bitch slap him with it. Cyborg laughed as he broke the embrace to stand beside Shane.

"Hey, what are those?" He gestured to her stack of files. She hesitated. Although it was obvious her sisters kidnapping caused her alot of pain, she still hadn't told them about the nightmares or her increasing desperation to find Slade. If they knew, they might put her out of commission for a while for fear of her safety and sanity.

**  
You're going to lie again, aren't you?**

_Shut up. I won't lie. I just won't tell them everything._

"Just some paperwork I'm wrapping up." He gave her a sidelong glance.

"Paperwork?" She nodded weakly. "I didn't know-"

Suddenly, as if by some incredibly convenient miracle, the red lights and klaxon began to wail, interrupting Cyborg mind-question. Shane nearly sighed in relief. Cyborg threw another glance at her before moving to the towers mainframe computer. Robin was already seated and rapidly typing, pulling up GPS maps to the crime in progress and police reports on who was committing the crime. With one last stroke of the key he sat back, brow furrowed in anger, jaw working side to side.

"Well?" Raven said. "What's the case?"

Robin sighed, hand rubbing his forehead. He turned, looking up at Shane apologetically.

"Slade has decided to make a show at the National Jump City Bank. He says he's willing to give up the location of your sister, but the information has a time limit. To apprehend him, we have to move- now." Shane's eyes darkened, her voice dangerously low as she said,

"The coward wants me there? Well, I'm not one to disappoint." She gripped the hilt of the longest dagger in her belt and slid it out of its sheath, her knuckles white.

"Shane, no- wait-!" Robin stood from the chair, reaching out to grab her.

"I'll meet you there."

All his glove closed around was thin air. He was too late. Shane had already disappeared.

* * *

** So, what did you think? Though it wasn't entirely bad to me, I still think it's lacking something... but I hope it will get better as it progresses!**

**Your opinions and comments mean alot to me, so please just drop me a review and tell me what you thought! **


	2. Fake Out

**Sorry that it's been so long! I've had no inspiration whatsoever lately. That, plus the fact that I have yet to receive a review! If I don't get some soon, I will consider quitting the series. So, please read and review!**

* * *

All she could hear was the roar of the rain and the pounding of her own footsteps as she ran through the slick streets of Jump City. Dark clouds rumbled above, letting the heavens open up and cry with all their might. Fat, thick raindrops stung her skin and soaked her clothes, making them cling restrictively to her body. Her hair hung limply in her eyes, obscuring her vision even more so then the misty sheets of rain. She shivered all over from the cold chill of the rain, and her muscles clenched from exhaustion, but she refused to stop. She had to keep going. She had to keep following that dark shadow in the distance.

She rounded a street corner and splashed through yet another great puddle. "Freeze!" she shouted again. Her voice seemed tiny and insignificant amidst the great din of the storm. The shadow threw a glance over their shoulder and kept moving. The long, black leather trench they wore looked to be getting heavy with rain; every now and then, they would stumble slightly before catching themselves and picking up their pace.

"Stop right now!" Shane's eyes narrowed and she spurred herself forward. Her lungs burned, and clouds of fog poured from her mouth as she struggled to keep her breathing normal. The criminal turned a corner suddenly, diving into an alleyway. Shane smirked, slowing her pace to a jog. **Gotcha.**

Trembling, the man peeked around the corner, searching for his tormentor. All he saw was the street and the pouring rain. They sighed, pressing a hand to his chest in relief before retreating further into the alleyway. He leaned against the rough wall and slid down, sitting on the wet ground. It felt good to rest his legs and lungs. He drew his knees up to his chest, and ran a hand down his face before reaching into a pocket and drawing out a small device. He hesitated before pressing a button on the side. Moments later, a cold voice answered.

"Report."

"I managed to loose her, but it wasn't easy. I think she might come back and-" He gave a scream as the phone was ripped out of hand and pinned to the wall just a few inches away from his head. He spun around, mouth gaping. The phone was speared through the middle by a small dagger with the letter S engraved on the hilt. It managed to warble out the crackling voice, yelling, "-do you copy? Answer me!" before dying in a cloud of smoke and static. He stared in shock at the phone, trembling just the slightest. He tore his eyes away and began to push himself up off the floor with shaking arms. "Who the hell did that?" he whispered. "Sh-show yourself, or I swear to God I'll... I'll..."

_"You'll what?"_

The words were barely a whisper on the night air, but he heard them perfectly well. He whipped around, toward the source of the noise. It seemed to come from the shadows lurking in the back of the alley. A flash of lightning chased away the shadows for a split second, allowing him just a glimpse of someone standing, glaring at him.

A woman.

Clad in mid thigh length black leather boots with built in sheaths holding glittering knifes and daggers. A utility belt lay loosely across her hips, fitted with pouches and sheaths housing even more throwing weapons. A black leather skirt with red trim, taunting in its length. A spandex cut off red shirt revealed a toned stomach and muscled arms. A black waxing crescent moon stretched across the middle of her chest. Fingerless fishnet gloves adorned her hands.

"H-Hiding in the shadows?" he said. "That's a bit cowardly for a superhero, isn't it?"

There was no reply. He inched closer to the darkness, fingering the gun concealed in his belt- it was for extreme emergencies only, his boss had told him. But as the terrified man began to take his first step into the shadows to confront the voice, he figured this was as much an emergency as any other. He slowly cocked the gun and held it out in front of him.

"I said, show yoursel-"

"Don't...move."

A womans voice growled in his ear, its breath hot and angry. His eyes widened in terror.

"Drop the gun." He choked on the words trying to form in his throat. "Do it, now!" Slowly, he complied, bending down and dropping the gun with a clatter. Immediately, he jerked up, drawing back an elbow and aiming it at her stomach. She reacted, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back, then pinning him roughly against the wall. She grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked it, pulling his head back slightly away from the wall so he could speak.

"I hear you work for Slade." she said.

"Check your sources lady. I don't work for anybody." he responded. She twisted his arm. He cried out.

"Last time I checked, the FBI database is a good source. Now spill! What is he planning to do with the girl?"

"What girl?" More pressure was put on his arm. "_Aaugh!_ N-No, really, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Think twice before lying to me, or you'll regret it." she growled dangerously.

"Please, no! I'm telling the truth! I don't know anything about a girl! But-..."

"But what?!" she screamed. He winced.

"But I do know Slade is working on something big! Something involving the Titans and a crazy man named Mumbo! Mumbo and Slade have some sort of agreement together or something. I don't know anything else, _I swear! Please!_" She hesitated a moment before releasing her grip on his arm. He spun around to look at her, but she was already gone. A voice carried through the rain, echoing against the alley walls.

"Tell your boss that Shane says hi."

* * *

**How pathetic could he be?! Slade is the most cowardly...ugh!** Shane glared, tearing off her wet outer layer of clothing and throwing them into the corner of her room. Standing in nothing but her skivvies, she walked to the window to watch the sunrise. Slowly the sun peeked over the horizon, turning the clouds brilliant shades of pink and orange. Golden light flooded into her window, casting her into the warm touch of light.

Slight bags underlined her eyes and light, purple bruises decorated her body. Following leads on Slade last night had been tough for her. She spent nearly all night chasing down crook after worthless crook to get information on his whereabouts. All she got for her troubles was lack of sleep, sore spots, and a bunch of shaky leads that might of well been lies. Sighing, she layed down and stretched out on the floor, thinking back on the past day.

* * *

_The first thing that greeted Shane as she emerged from the darkness was the incessant wail of cop cars and their flashing lights. A quick glance around told her that she was standing in the side alley between two shops in the center of Jump. She peeked out around the corner of the store and saw several SWAT officers down the street forming a barricade. More and more black vans labeled SWAT were pulling up, pouring out heavily armored men carrying riot shields and high powered rifles.Police officers were pulling out schematics of the city and discussing them with captains and sergeants. Shane pulled out her communicator and tapped into the line. "Robin? Shadow reporting." Almost immediately, a staticy and very pissed off voice responded._

_"What do you think you're _doing_?! Going out with no backup, no plan- have you lost your_mind_?!"_

_"I'm just outside the barricade." Shane said, ignoring Robins outburst. "I assume it's a mile wide radius, but I could be wrong." A short beep announced someone was joining the line._

_"Cyborg here. It looks like you're right Shane- I mean, Shadow. The city's arranged for about a mile wide radius barricade. They're not letting anyone through except for the police and officials. They have SWAT teams surrounding the barricade and snipers positioned on the roof tops nearest Slade."_

_"Don't let them use the snipers!" Shane exclaimed. "If Slade's dead, then we can't get the information we want."_

_"Affirmative." Robin responded. "I've already informed the police about our situation. They've agreed to hold off until our command."_

_"We haven't got much time left until Slade drops the offer. Either you get here quickly, or I'm going in alone."_

_"Shadow...Slade might've had no intention to keep the offer at all. This is more then likely a trap." Shane rolled her eyes._

_"Don't you think I know that Robin?"_

_"Then why are you-"_

_"Because if there's even a small chance that I can get my sister back, I need to take it." Shane said, a tone of finality in her voice. "No matter what." Robin remained silent for a beat._

_"Alright." he finally said. "We'll be over there as soon as we can."_

_"Got it. Shadow out." Shane moved to close the line._

_"Shane, wait-!" Cyborg blurted. She paused. Given the hint, Robin closed off his line, leaving Cyborg and Shane alone._

_"...Yeah, Cy?" she said._

_"Just... be careful. I-I don't want to see you get hurt." Shane smiled._

_"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Shadow out." She slipped the communicator into her belt and emerged from around the corner. She walked purposefully toward the barricade, drawing their attention. One armor clad man stepped forward, rifle drawn and trained on her._

_"Halt!" he shouted. She simply drew out her communicator and flashed the Titans emblem to them._

_"I'm Shadow, of the Titans. I'm here to deal with Slade."_

* * *

_She came to a halt in front of an old apartment building. The windows were boarded up, shutters long ago torn off their hinges. The very walls seemed to be rotting and crumbing with decay. Several doors were missing, some taped over with police tape. Those that were still in the doorway were spray painted with tags and graffiti. The doorknobs were either rusted beyond use or missing. The entire complex seemed to reek forebodance and death. She glanced up. Several snipers were stationed on the roof, which looked just about ready to cave in._

_"Slade!" Her voice echoed in all the empty rooms. "I'm here! Where is my sister?" Nothing. Then, a muffled shout and a stumbling of feet. A figure walked shakily out of the room. Shane's hands went to her belt, gripping the hilt of a knife. Her eyes narrowed and she tensed her legs in preparation for a fight._

_"Wait! Please don't shoot!" The figure came into the light. It was a man wearing a trench coat. His hands were behind his head and his expression was one of fear. Taped on the front of his shirt was a note. "P-please!"_

_"Stop where you are." Shane ordered. "Get on your knees." He obliged. She made her way up to him and took the note, reading it aloud. _

_"'Apologies, little Shadow, but more pressing matters were at hand that needed my attention. The girl will remain with me. Perhaps another time.'"_

**He lied...this was all a lie! That thieving BASTARD!**_ Shane's entire body shook with rage as she crumpled up the note and threw it to the ground in disgust. She turned to the man before her. "Did...you...see...him?__" she asked, her voice slow and dangerous. He shook his head. "Did you see him?!" she screamed._

_"No!"_

_"Then get out of my sight. _Now_." He scrambled to his feet and ran away, his trench coat flying back for just a second. But a second was all she needed to see the little, black communicator attached to his inner coat pocket. On the front of the communicator, a jagged orange S was inscribed. She recognized the emblem in a heartbeat. Slade. The 'hostage' was one of Slade's underlings. _**He's not getting away. Not when he has what I want...**


End file.
